Thanks, 9/11 truthers

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2017006,00.html

"9/11 fantasists pose a mortal danger to popular oppositional campaigns. These conspiracy idiots are a boon for Bush and Blair as they destroy the movements some of us have spent years building"

Only the coldest of hearts wouldn't sympathise with George Monbiot at the damage being wreaked on his conspiracy theory movement by the 9/11 truther brigades. Saying that, I find a smirk playing across my face at this rather elegant example of poetic justice. George Monbiot, a marxist eco-fanatic, does have an established place in British politics. His conspiracy theories are less entertaining than the 9/11 truthers, involving as they do mundane things like the fascistic nature of the George W Bush administration and the fascistic nature of the Tony Blair administration, the control of the world by large corporations, the mind-control exercised by the media on behalf of the Bush/Blair fascists, the plot of rich western nations to keep the 3rd world (or whatever we're calling the poor countries this week) in deep poverty and riddled with aids, the denial by many conservatives of the obvious truth of man-generated global warming and lots of other entirely un-controversial ideas.

To me, its a bit like the village idiot getting in a complete tiz when a much more incoherent nutjob wanders into town. 'Get out of town, you are ruining my whole schtick!'

Saying that, I do believe Mr Monbiot has pointed out at least a couple of valid truths about conspiracy theorists. "The obvious corollorary to the belief that the Bush administration is all-powerful is that the rest of us are completely powerless." How true. "The 9/11 conspiracy theories are a displacement activity. A displacement activity is something you do because you feel incapable of doing what you ought to do." I would replace 9/11 conspiracy theories with ALL conspiracy theories, but I think the psychological insight is valid. Can't be bothered with learning how the world works? Invent a crazy conspiracy theory. Feel like you have no access to the real deliberations that affect our lives? Invent a conspiracy theory that makes you feel like you REALLY know how those important events played out.

Remember how it was always some dweeby country yokel who saw the UFO? It never seemed to be Ivy league professors, or millionaire lawyers... Ever noticed how the originators of conspiracy theories are always internet geeks or lonely assistant professors of Sociology? Can't imagine why they would feel that world events are controlled by potent powerful men with virtually superhuman powers...

I would say that actually the 9/11 truthers are a boon all round- they show the nature of 'movements' like that of George Monbiot to be what they are- silly, unfounded wastes of time, a displacement activity for genuine engagement in politics and the lives of nations.